Help Kirstie Survive and afford insulin

To start: i'm a 21 year old who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 4. currently suffering from not being able to afford the necessities needed to keep me alive. This is a cry for help and not an act for sympathy. if in any way you could find it in your heart to read my story, and help donate to keep my kidneys alive i couldn't put into words how thankful, and how grateful i would be.

Firstly. the pancreas is the organ in your body that produces insulin, but, if your pancreas stops working there is nothing to make the insulin for the body. after eating, the blood sugar levels in the body rise. with diabetics, insulin controls the blood sugar levels. in a non-diabetic, the pancreas releases insulin to bring the sugar levels back down. this sugar is then used to make energy in the body. Being a diabetic, this is why i have to take insulin by an injection.

I take a blood test as soon as i wake up, and before every meal. i also take one dose of insulin before each meal, 3 times a day, and then 1 at night which is long acting over 24 hours. (novorapid and lantus) i put a new needle on for every injection and there are cartridges that the insulin comes in, each seperate to one another. After applying for 18 jobs the day I lost my position, and every day since applying for more, i have unfortunately had no luck. I own a 2 and a half year old bullmastiff/ neo mastiff (you could imagine how much he eats) and i cannot afford to feed myself or my partner let alone my puppy. not testing my blood sugars, which means not giving myself correct insulin doses can lead to amputation of body parts, kidney failure, or even death.

I'm still young and I want to prove to my family, and to any other person who believes they don't have it in them that it will be okay, that we can fight through this rough patch. Type 1 diabetes is not caused by eating too many sweets or junk-food and it is not contagious. someone with diabetes can lead a normal, happy and healthy life if the diabetes is looked after well. to start improving i will need to purchase my insulin, and be able to purchase food for my pantry so my little family can eat. i'm to the point where i cannot walk i'm receiving that much pain from my kidneys, and the only way to fix that is to get on top of my insulin and blood sugar tests again.

I have been in hospital twice with ketoacidosis, it's so hard to go through, having everyone tell you what you can and can't do.. you feel like you're locked away and you can't do anything. ketoacidosis is a serious condition associated with illness or very high blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes. it develops gradually over hours or days. it is a sign of insufficient insulin. Without enough insulin, the body’s cells cannot use glucose for energy. to make up for this, the body begins to burn fat for energy instead. this leads to accumulation of dangerous chemical substances in the blood called ketones, which also appear in the urine. this is a serious medical emergency and can be life threatening if not treated properly. All children and adults, especially someone with diabetes, should eat a healthy balanced diet. i need to eat carbohydrates like bread, pasta or cereal, that is high in fibre, low in sugar, and will give me lots of energy, with every meal. if my sugars go low, which sometimes happens, i feel very weak, shaky and sick. it is a horrible and sometimes a frightening feeling. i have to eat sweets straight away to bring my sugar levels back up, otherwise i could end up very sick and in hospital.

I want to see the day where i can honestly say yeah, i have diabetes, but diabetes doesn't control me, i control it. For each person to donate as little as $1 I would reach my goal.